
Vinodh A. Kumar, M.D.
Department of Neuroradiology, Division of Diagnostic Imaging
About Dr. Kumar
Dr. Vinodh A. Kumar completed a two year fellowship in Neuroradiology at New York University Medical Center and then joined MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2008. He was promoted to Associate Professor in the Division of Diagnostic Imaging in 2014. He is the Director of Clinical fMRI and Intraoperative Imaging. The emphasis of his clinical and research work is on improving preoperative and intraoperative imaging for brain tumor surgery. He actively participates in Advanced Brain Tumor Imaging and Neurosurgery Tumor Boards.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Associate Professor, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Research Interests
Preoperative and Intraoperative Brain Tumor Imaging
Clinical Interests
Brain Tumor Imaging, Head and Neck Tumor Imaging, Head and Neck US Guided Interventional Radiology, Spinal Tumor imaging
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
2001 | Loyola University Chicago: Stritch School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA, MD, Medicine |
1996 | Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, USA, BA, Biology and Psychology |
Postgraduate Training
2006-2008 | Clinical Fellowship, Neuroradiology, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY |
2002-2006 | Clinical Residency, Radiology, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX |
2001-2002 | Clinical Internship, Internal Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Chicago, IL |
Board Certifications
2009 | American Board of Radiology with subspecialty in Neuroradiology |
2006 | American Board of Radiology |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Associate Professor, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2014 - 2019
Assistant Professor, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2008 - 2014
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Noll KR, Chen HS, Wefel JS, Kumar VA, Hou P, Ferguson SD, Rao G, Johnson JM, Schomer DF, Suki D, Prabhu SS, Liu HL. Alterations in functional connectomics associated with neurocognitive changes following glioma resection. Neurosurgery, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33080024.
- Bastos DCA, Weinberg J, Kumar VA, Fuentes DT, Stafford J, Li J, Rao G, Prabhu SS. Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy in the treatment of brain metastases and radiation necrosis. Cancer Lett 489:9-18, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32504657.
- Bastos DCA, Rao G, Oliva ICG, Loree JM, Fuentes DT, Stafford RJ, Beechar VB, Weinberg JS, Shah K, Kumar VA, Prabhu SS. Predictors of Local Control of Brain Metastasis Treated With Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy. Neurosurgery 87(1):112-122, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31539421.
- Hsu AL, Chen HS, Hou P, Wu CW, Johnson JM, Noll KR, Prabhu SS, Ferguson SD, Kumar VA, Schomer DF, Chen JH, Liu HL. Presurgical resting-state functional MRI language mapping with seed selection guided by regional homogeneity. Magn Reson Med 84(1):375-383, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31793025.
- Kumar VA, Heiba IM, Prabhu SS, Chen MM, Colen RR, Young AL, Johnson JM, Hou P, Noll K, Ferguson SD, Rao G, Lang FF, Schomer DF, Liu HL. The role of resting-state functional MRI for clinical preoperative language mapping. Cancer Imaging 20((1):47):47, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32653026.
- Bastos DCA, Fuentes DT, Traylor J, Weinberg J, Kumar VA, Stafford J, Li J, Rao G, Prabhu SS. The Use of Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy in the Treatment of Brain Metastases: A Literature Review. Int J Hyperthermia 37(2):53-60, 2020. PMID: 32672122.
- Bastos DCA, Weinberg J, Kumar VA, Fuentes DT, Stafford J, Li J, Rao G, Prabhu SS. Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy in the Treatment of Brain Metastasis and Radiation Necrosis. Cancer Letters, 2020. e-Pub 2020.
- Salem U, Kumar VA, Madewell JE, Schomer DF, Bastos DCA, Zinn PO, Weinberg JS, Rao G, Prabhu SS, Colen RR. Neurosurgical applications of MRI guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT). Cancer Imaging 19(1):65, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31615562.
- Traylor JI, Bastos DCA, Fuentes D, Muir M, Patel R, Kumar VA, Stafford RJ, Rao G, Prabhu SS. Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI in Patients with Brain Metastases Undergoing Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy: A Pilot Study. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 40(9):1451-1457, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31371353.
- Hamouda D, Nascimento FA, Weathers SP, Kumar VA. Stroke-like Migraine Attacks after Radiation Therapy (SMART) Syndrome. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 77(3):215, 2019. PMID: 30970135.
- Gogia B, Chavali LS, Lang FF, Hayman LA, Rai P, Prabhu SS, Schomer DF, Kumar VA. MRI venous architecture of insula. J Neurol Sci 390:156-161, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29801878.
- Chen MM, Chen SR, Diaz-Marchan P, Schomer D, Kumar VA. Anterior inferior cerebellar artery strokes based on variant vascular anatomy of the posterior circulation: clinical deficits and imaging territories. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 27(4), 2018. PMID: 29150242.
- Economides MP, Ballester LY, Kumar VA, Jiang Y, Tarrand J, Prieto V, Torres HA, Kontoyiannis DP. Invasive mold infections of the central nervous system in patients with hematologic cancer or stem cell transplantation (2000-2016): uncommon, with improved survival but still deadly often. J Infect 75(6), 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28919347.
- Hsu AL, Hou P, Johnson JM, Wu CW, Noll KR, Prabhu SJ, Ferguson SD, Kumar VA, Schomer DA, Hazle JD, Chen JH, Liu HL. IClinfMRI software for integrating functional MRI techniques in presurgical mapping and clinical studies. Front Neuroinform 12(1), 2018. PMID: 29593520.
- Gogia B, Kumar VA, Chavali LS, Ketonen L, Hunter J, Prabhu SS, Schomer D, Hayman LA. MRI venous architecture of the thalamus. J Neurol Sci 370:88-93, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27772794.
- Davoudi S, Kumar VA, Jiang Y, Kupferman M, Kontoyiannis DP. Invasive mould sinusitis in patients with haematological malignancies: a 10 year single-centre study. J Antimicrob Chemother 70(10):2899-905, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26188039.
- Shah KB, Hayman LA, Chavali LS, Hamilton JD, Prabhu SS, Wangaryattawanich P, Kumar VA, Kumar AJ. Glial tumors in brodmann area 6: spread pattern and relationships to motor areas. Radiographics 35(3):793-803, 2015. PMID: 25969935.
- Shahar T, Rozovski U, Marko NF, Tummala S, Ziu M, Weinberg JS, Rao G, Kumar VA, Sawaya R, Prabhu SS. Preoperative imaging to predict intraoperative changes in tumor-to-corticospinal tract distance: an analysis of 45 cases using high-field intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Neurosurgery 75(1):23-30, 2014. PMID: 24618800.
- Vabulas M, Kumar VA, Hamilton JD, Martinez JJ, Rao G, Sawaya R, Prabhu SS. Real-time atlas-based stereotactic neuronavigation. Neurosurgery 74(1):128-34; discussion 134, 2014. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24089050.
- Kumar VA, Hamilton J, Hayman LA, Kumar AJ, Rao G, Weinberg JS, Sawaya R, Prabhu SS. Deformable anatomic templates (DAT) improve analysis of gliomas with minimal mass effect in eloquent areas. Neurosurgery 73(3):534-42, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23728447.
- Kumar VA, Shah KB, Ginsberg LE. Perineural tumor spread to the oculomotor (CN III) nerve. J Comput Assist Tomogr 37(4):525-7, 2013. PMID: 23863527.
- Shivaprasad S, Shroff G, Kumar VA. Vein of labbe thrombosis by CT and MRI. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 83(12):1168-1169, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22842712.
- Sweeny S, Kumar VA, Tayar J, Weber D, Safdar A, Alonso C, Hymes S. Case 181: synovitis acne pustulosis hyperostosis osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome. Radiology 263(2):613-617, 2012. PMID: 22517965.
- Hayman LA, Kumar VA, Hamilton J, Prabhu SS, Thiebaut de Schotten M, Al-Zubidi N, Pagani J, Vabulas M, Groneman M, Kumar AJ. Deformable anatomic templates embed knowledge into patient's brain images: part 1. Construction and display. J Comput Assist Tomogr 36(3):354-359, 2012. PMID: 22592623.
- Hamilton JD, Kumar VA, Hayman LA, Prabhu SS, Hou P, Jackson EF, Groneman M, Pagani J, Vabulas M, Kumar AJ. Deformable anatomic templates embed knowledge into brain images: part 2. Validation using functional magnetic resonance imaging of the motor hand. J Comput Assist Tomogr 36(2):280-284, 2012. PMID: 22446375.
- Sweeney SA, Kumar VA, Tayar J, Weber DM, Safdar A, Alonso C, Hymes S. Case 181. Radiology 262(1):361-363, 2012.
- Kumar VA, Hofstede TM, Ginsberg LE. CT imaging features of obturator prostheses in patients following palatectomy or maxillectomy. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 32(10):1926-1929, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21799037.
- Kumar VA, Knopp EA, Zagzag D. Magnetic resonance dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced perfusion imaging in the diagnosis of posterior fossa hemangioblastomas and pilocytic astrocytomas: initial results. J Comput Assist Tomogr 34(6):825-829, 2010. PMID: 21084895.
- Kumar AJ, Leeds NE, Kumar VA, Fuller GN, Lang FF, Milas Z, Weinberg JS, Ater JL, Sawaya R. Magnetic resonance imaging features of pilocytic astrocytoma of the brain mimicking high-grade gliomas. J Comput Assist Tomogr 34(4):601-611, 2010. PMID: 20657231.
- Kumar VA, Lewin JS, Ginsberg LE. CT assessment of vocal cord medialization. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 27(8):1643-1646, 2006. PMID: 16971603.
- Kumar VA, Esmaeli B, Ahmed S, Gogia B, Debnam JM, Ginsberg LE. Imaging features of malignant lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct tumors. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27418476.
- Munoz J, Kumar VA, Hamilton J, Pasche LJ, Langford LA, Taggart MW, Kamiya-Matsuoka C, Tummala S, Moulder S, Kurzrock R. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: more than meets the eye. J Clin Oncol. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23733774.
- Quirarte JA, Kumar VA, Liu HL, Noll KR, Wefel JS, Lang FF. Language supplementary motor area syndrome correlated with dynamic changes in perioperative task-based functional MRI activations: case report. J Neurosurg:1-5. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32502992.
- Bastos DCA, Vega RA, Traylor JI, Ghia AJ, Li J, Oro M, Bishop AJ, Yeboa DN, Amini B, Kumar VA, Rao G, Rhines LD, Tatsui CE. Spinal Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy: Single-Center Experience and Outcomes in the First 120 Cases. J Neurosurg Spine:1-10. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33307530.
- Krivosheya D, Rao G, Tummala S, Kumar V, Suki D, Bastos DCA, Prabhu SS. Impact of Multi-modality Monitoring Using Direct Electrical Stimulation to Determine Corticospinal Tract Shift and Integrity in Tumors using the Intraoperative MRI. J Neurol Surg A Cent Eur Neurosurg. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31659724.